An annual highlight of the Arthritis Foundation’sConference of Championsis our Evening of Honors – a time when we celebrate outstanding achievements of our most engaged volunteers and partners.
This year’s ceremony was hosted byPete Scalia,co-anchor of WBNS 10TV’s “This Morning” news program in Columbus, Ohio. Diagnosed with severerheumatoid arthritisat age 30, Pete has been very open about the challenges of living with RA and is actively involved with the Arthritis Foundation.
We presented Champion Awards to several individuals who stood out most in 2018 for their support of the arthritis community:
Teresa Paulsen
In Central Ohio, Teresa created the first national team for the Walk to Cure Arthritis with her company, NovaCare, spanning several states. She was also instrumental in raising thousands of more dollars for the arthritis cause through a variety of events and serves as the local leadership board’s network leader for the newLive Yes! Arthritis Network.
Julie Butscher
Committed to our cause for more than 15 years, Julie, who has two children with arthritis, has made fighting this disease a top priority. She has taken on many Arthritis Foundation leadership roles, including taking charge of fortifyingCamp MASH, teen retreats and other family gatherings in the Denver area. She and her family have raised nearly $100,000 to battle arthritis.
Mark Box, MD
A great friend of the Arthritis Foundation for over 20 years, Dr. Box is perhaps the best known and most respected rheumatologist in the Kansas City area. He has given more than $250,000 to make a profound impact on our mission. In addition, he supports fundraisers like Art for Arthritis by donating premium seats to popular concerts and sporting events.
California Coast Classic
This exhilaratingbiking event, marking its 18thanniversary, raised more than $1 million in 2018 for the Arthritis Foundation. Three participants have gone the extra distance:Darren and Mary GonserandAdrienne Rubin.Darren has ridden almost 9,000 miles since 2000, while his wife helps keep riders supplied and motivated. Adrienne is the event’s top fundraiser, generating over $300,000.
In addition, we recognizedJasvinder Singh, MD, MPH,with our $10,000Lee C. Howley Prize用于关节炎科学研究。辛格博士不仅是一位教授、风湿病学家和高产的研究者，而且他总是抽出时间来查阅关节炎基金会的文献，以确保我们提供的信息是准确的和前沿的。
Receiving our Corporate Impact Award wasAmgen,a company that’s turning the tide on serious, life-interrupting diseases like arthritis. This year, Amgen observes 20 years since making available to the public, for the very first time, Enbrel, a miraculous drug for so many who combat arthritis.
The evening’s biggest award – the Charles B. Harding Award for Distinguished Service – went toMichael V. Ortman.Michael served as chair of the Arthritis Foundationboard of directorsfor two years, 2014-16. He was key to helping us reorganize as a united organization focused on more efficiently and effectively helping even more people with arthritis live their best life.
Entertaining us at the Evening of Honors wasSteven Battey, who recently cofounded Singing for Superheroes, an organization that helps makekids with arthritisand other chronic diseases realize they are not alone. This Grammy Award-winning artist fired up the crowd with his performance of“Body of Steel,”a lively song that raises awareness about JA.
分享他们个人的生活故事!14岁的比德·马西亚里和她的母亲朱莉娅·马西亚里-亚历山大是她在巴尔的摩地区的坚定支持者。来自马里兰州的艾米丽和辛迪·莫格尔(Emily和Cindy Mogel)也加入了她们的队伍，18岁的艾米丽在键盘上的表演也激励了我们。
Thank you to all of our loyal volunteers and partners nationwide, especially those we honored in Friday evening’s celebration.
Related Resources:
- 2018 Conference of Champions: Moving the Movement Forward
- Learn More About Our Conference of Champions